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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23182876">Corn Mazes and Panic Attacks (not a good mix!)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eccentric_Grace/pseuds/Eccentric_Grace'>Eccentric_Grace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Corn Mazes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Holding Hands, M/M, No angst!, Panic Attacks, Set after Chapter1, the losers are done™️, they’re in loveeee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:14:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,544</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23182876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eccentric_Grace/pseuds/Eccentric_Grace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Losers divide and conquer a Corn Maze.</p><p>Eddie gets a little spooked.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Corn Mazes and Panic Attacks (not a good mix!)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Ben asks, almost uneasy.</p><p>Currently, The Losers Club stood outside of a corn maze.</p><p>It was near the end of October, just about a year after their confrontation with a certain dancing clown. Beverly was visiting for Halloween weekend, so the group had been hanging out day after day to make up for lost time.</p><p>A corn maze seemed like a good idea at first. They would split into groups and try to brave the maze as best as they could, and then reconvene at the end of the day for one of their Losers’ Club movie nights. </p><p>“Of course,” Beverly said. “Don’t worry, Ben. Nothing is going to happen.”</p><p>“It’s gone,” Mike said, not having to clarify any further. </p><p>They fall into a silence at the blunt mention of It. It wasn’t something that was brought into conversation. It stayed an unspoken thing; other than at three in the morning when one of them would wake up in fearful tremors and needed comfort that everything was okay.</p><p>Ben nods.</p><p>“So,” Richie speaks up. “Who volunteers as my partner? I promise to protect ya from any Jack Torrances that decide to chase after us,” He grins.</p><p>“You asshole! Why would you bring that up /now/?” Eddie seethes.</p><p>“I call being partners with Ben,” Beverly says, resting an arm on his shoulder. Ben blushes, looking pleased. “He’ll protect me better than you can, Rich.”</p><p>“E-Eddie, y-y-you partner w-with R-R-Richie. S-Stan, Mike a-a-and I will work t-together.” Bill looks at the two for confirmation, and Mike and Stan nod.</p><p>“Are you serious right now? I get stuck with Richie? Why are we even going into a corn maze? If my allergies kick up, my mom says I can go into anaphylaxis. I could spend days in the emergency room. Corn mazes are filled with allergens. You realize that, right? Also, like, every horror movie with a corn maze ends badly. You know that, right?” Eddie speaks a mile a minute.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Eds. I’ll protect ya,” Richie winks.</p><p>“Ok, fuck off—“ Eddie’s face goes red. “I know for a fact all you’re going to do is make fun of me the whole time for getting scared during The Shining—“</p><p>“Eddie, you should treat your partner with respect,” Stanley says, staring directly at Eddie. They both obviously know of the double meaning. Eddie flushes more.</p><p>Before Eddie can start ranting again, Bill and his team steps into the maze, followed directly by Beverly and Ben. Beverly winks at him before she goes in.</p><p>Richie turns to him. He grins. “Ready, Eddie?”</p><p>“Haha. Very funny. Just go, asshole.”</p><p>“Your pet names always make me blush, Eds.” Richie continues teasing. “Cute, cute, cute!”</p><p>Eddie shoves him into the entrance of the maze. Richie laughs but keeps walking. </p><p>“So... What’s the latest gossip, Edward?” Richie asks, using his Suburban Mom voice.</p><p>“Why is that so much worse than Eds?” Eddie responds instead of answering the question.</p><p>Richie shrugs. “I dunno. We turning left or right?”</p><p>“Uh, left? My mom says left is always right.”</p><p>“...Mkay,” Richie decides not to comment and just turns left and continues walking through the maze. </p><p>“Hey, ‘Chee?”</p><p>“Yeah, Eddie?”</p><p>“Why don’t you ever talk about your parents?” Eddie wonders aloud.</p><p>Richie looks up from the dirt. “Wasn’t expecting that question, to be honest.”</p><p>“What question were you expecting?” Eddie asks, turning right in the maze as they speak. </p><p>Richie shrugs as he follows. He smiles. ”I guess maybe when I was gonna marry your mom.”</p><p>“Beep beep.”</p><p>“I don’t know what I was expecting. Just wasn’t that,” Richie says, going back to the original question. “I guess I don’t talk about them because it’s not ever relevant.”</p><p>“That’s a big word you just used, you getting a headache, Richie?” Eddie grins.</p><p>“Haha,” Richie grins back, playfully nudging his shoulder. “Nope. I’m feeling just fine, Eddie Spaghetti.”</p><p>“Don’t call me that, I hate that.” Eddie pouts at him.</p><p>At this, Richie gives a giant grin and leans forward, pinching Eddie’s cheeks. “Cute, cute, cu—“</p><p>Eddie slaps his hand away repeatedly, looking away at something behind Richie. His eyes are full of fear.</p><p>Richie seems to recognize the look immediately and turns around, putting his arm over the space in front of Eddie. If Eddie wasn’t so damn terrified at the sudden moving in the plants, he might have just blushed.</p><p>But he was terrified. The corn rustled more and more, and all Eddie could think was something was coming. The rustling got louder and closer to him and Richie, and then—</p><p>“Eddie,” Richie laughs. “It’s just a rabbit. Look—“</p><p>Eddie wanted more than anything to laugh at the rabbit who had now run past them and into another wall of corn, but his brain was still fight or flight.</p><p>He stumbled backwards anyways, falling on his hands and trying to scoot back from the danger.</p><p>Richie looks back at him, the laughter completely leaving his lungs. He scrambles over to Eddie. “Hey, hey, Eds—c’mon, breathe, it’s okay, it was just a rabbit.”</p><p>All Eddie’s heart could do was keep pounding. The sound reverberated in his head, feeling like a hit to the head with every beat. </p><p>He couldn’t breathe, really. Eddie was just taking large gasps of air and holding them in for much too long. He saw Richie trying to help him. He did.</p><p>It was just too much and not enough and Eddie couldn’t concentrate on any of the words that Richie was speaking.</p><p>So, Richie just took his hand and held it tightly. He wrapped an arm over Eddie’s shoulder, and they sat against the corn wall until Eddie calmed down.</p><p>When Eddie could easily breathe, he heard Richie speaking quietly next to him.</p><p>“Then another time, my mom was doing laundry and I stole one of her bras. I was only like, four, so I didn’t know what it was. Naturally, I thought they were sunglasses—“</p><p>Eddie snorts softly, causing Richie to smile. “Hey, there he is. You okay?”</p><p>Eddie nods. “Yeah... I’m okay. Thanks. For... yknow. Calming me down, I guess.”</p><p>“‘Course,” Richie murmurs with a smile. “I told you I’d protect you, didn’t I?”</p><p>Eddie squeezes Richie’s hand, realizing that he’s still holding it. “Yeah...You did.”</p><p>Richie blushes and looks down.</p><p>Eddie let’s his head drop on Richie’s shoulder, feeling exhausted. He sighs. “I hate corn mazes.”</p><p>“How about we make it through this one, and if any more bunnies try to hop out and scare you, I’ll chase ‘em all right back to that one pizza restaurant.”</p><p>“Richie, that’s a mouse.”</p><p>“Same thing.”</p><p>Eddie laughs softly. “Right. Of course.”</p><p>Richie smiles at him, looking simply love-struck. He gets up reluctantly, pulling Eddie up by his hand.</p><p>They held hands through the rest of the corn maze, working in and out through twists and turns and lefts and rights until the finally met the exit.</p><p>When they looked around, they couldn’t find any of the other Losers, and the sun wasn’t even close to setting.</p><p>“Did—Did we just win?” Richie asks disbelievingly. </p><p>“What, you didn’t think we could?” Eddie tried to look offended, but was simply too tired to keep up any act. Instead, his tone was just sleepy and curious. Richie thought it was adorable.</p><p>“No, of course I did! Your direction skills are impeccable, Eds. You could get us out of there in a heartbeat.”</p><p>“You’re the one who got us out of the maze, mostly. You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Eddie comments, sitting on the bench outside of the maze’s exit. He yawns.</p><p>Richie hums and sits next to him.  </p><p>Eddie leans on Richie’s shoulder again, closing his eyes. </p><p>Richie looks down at him, taking in the curly brown hair that looks so incredibly soft, his long eyelashes and the freckles that dot themselves over his nose. He’s beautiful, Richie thinks.</p><p>Eddie falls asleep on Richie, drooling on the sleeve of Richie’s shirt. Richie really doesn’t mind that much at all.</p><p>They wait over an hour for the rest of The Losers to return, and eventually, Richie falls asleep too. His cheek falls on the top of Eddie’s hair, burying his nose into strawberry-scented shampoo. </p><p>Beverly and Ben are the ones to make it to the exit next. They take one look at the two on the bench and decide to just quietly sit in the grass while the others arrive. </p><p>The last group arrives, giggling and slinging their arms around each other. Beverly quickly shushes them, gesturing to Richie and Eddie.</p><p>Bill smiles a bit at the sight. Mike looks pleased but indifferent. They all sit in the grass. </p><p>“Finally,” Stan grins. “They’ve been so annoying.”</p><p>“Something t-tells me it’s j-ju-just going t-t-to get w-worse,” Bill says, eyeing as Richie pulls Eddie closer to his side in their sleep.</p><p>“As long as they finally figure out they like each other?” Ben reminds them. </p><p>Eddie quietly sighs in contentment, and almost every one (minus Richie, still happily asleep) rolls their eyes.</p><p>“At least,” Beverly agrees.</p><p>They let them sleep a little longer, deciding to converse quietly amongst themselves.</p><p>Meanwhile, Richie and Eddie dream the nicest that they have in a long time.</p><p>They deserve it.</p>
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